Project: SHINOBI Book 1: The Outcasts
by ShiverNinja
Summary: Manipulated, broken, made into things that we aren't, we didn't ask for any of this... and they didn't ask for us to strike back.
1. Synopsis

In the distant future, genetic engineering has been put to a much greater use in Konoha City's society. The LSOGA facility soon began its experiments on small animals like mice and rats, then they moved on to bigger animals like dogs and pigs, and then finally; human beings.

The result of the experiments created a new type of human; a Synthetic Humanoid Intended for Nocturnal Observation and Basic Infiltration, or "S.H.I.N.O.B.I" as they are called for short. These genetically modified humans are able to manipulate the energy around them and turn it into physical energy to heal or kill other human beings. However they also created another branch of S.H.I.N.O.B.I that known as S. (Synthetic Humanoid Mechs) which are people whose bodies are fused with parts from robots, turning them into unstoppable forces of strength, agility, and speed, and making them behave more like Machine-like than human.

Both of these man-made creations patrol the city, keeping order among the citizens.

But there is a much darker side to this project. Most of the S.H.I.N.O.B.I are young children, given to LSOGA by their parents or taken by force to live as mere experiments, never treated as actual human beings. This has caused much uproar in the city and sparked a resistance movement to free the children. Despite the rebellion being crushed by the Higher Ups, it is said that it still exists and lays hiding in wait to strike again. They may not know it, but the future of the city and the world is in the hands of 6 LSOGA subjects...


	2. Training Day

(I'm referring to the characters as numbers because they're their lab names. They will have their normal names in a bit, let me know if I'm breaking rules and I can change this up a bit.)

 **(WED, SEPT. 9, 2138. 3:29 PM)**

 **(Sakura's (13-C's) POV)**

 **"REQUESTING; 13-C, 85-S, AND 12-K . 13-C, 85-S, AND 12-K, PLEASE REPORT TO TESTING ROOM D"** I perked up as I heard my name being called by one of the SHMs. I don't know my real name, or if I even _have_ one. All I know is my lab name; 13-C.

I had been in the middle of brushing my hair, which was...unique, to say the least. I mean, no one in the entire LSOGA facility had _pink_ hair. I quickly finished up, quickly adjusted my white lab clothes, and started walking down the stark white hallways, which had been my whole world since I was born. I was so focused on heading to the room, I didn't notice one of my friends walking into my path from another hallway. Before I could see him, we bumped into each other.

I recognized my friend, a boy around my age with blue-black hair that spiked up at the back and eyes the color of the night sky. He was called 85-S, and he had been my friend since we were little. I quickly apologized to him and walked toward the testing room next to him. He was unusually quiet today, and had a troubled look in his eyes. Well, emphasis on "unusually". He's a quiet kid, but THIS quiet? I mean if he's acting like this, than you know something's up. I kept trying to pry it out of him, but all he'd say is; "Does it matter?" I tried more but got the same response again, until my 50th of 70th time. That's when he gave in. He started talking in a low voice, with his naturally deep voice I had to strain to hear him.

 **(5 hours ago, Sasuke's (85-S's) POV)**

'Well, that's the LAST time I'm doing the unloading!' _I thought to myself as I stretched my now sore arms. I had been selected to help with unloading supplies from the truck that LSOGA had been waiting for. It was backbreaking work, I'm sure 13-C would have had an easier time with this, being slightly stronger and having more stamina than I did. After I was relieved from my duties, I took a bit of a walk through the hallways to clear my mind for a bit. But that peace as shattered as I heard running footsteps behind me and I turned to see 12-K running at full speed toward me. He was around the same age as me and 13-C, with a slightly chubby build, spiked yellow hair, innocent blue eyes, and a infectious personality that you just couldn't resist. I had to brace myself as to not get bulldozed by my friend before he stopped just in front of me, a excited look on his face. "Glad I found you! I found something SUPER cool! Believe it!" I looked at him with an expression of what I imagine was 'What the heck are you talking about now?'_

 _12-K, seeing I didn't believe him, grabbed me by the arm and pulled, no,_ dragged _me through the isles before stopping in front of a large door. "Do you know what I found?" He exclaimed. "Yeah, you found a door."_ _I said in a slightly sarcastic voice while holding my sore arm.  
_

 _"NO NO NO! It's what I found inside thats what awesome!" He exclaimed again as he opened the door. "You dobe! We're gonna get disco-" Suddenly he grabbed my arm, pulled me inside, than closed the door very quietly as to not alert anyone. However, it was dark as hell inside the room and I couldn't even see my hand. Just as I was about to remind 12-K about finding some kind of illumination the whole room was flooded with a bright light and I had to cover my eyes for a few seconds. When I finally was able to see, I noticed 12-K waving his hand like he wanted me to come over. I went over to see pieces of paper on a wooden thing, I think they called it a clipboard. "Look! It's our names!" He yelled pointing on one of the papers. He was indeed right, there was our names on our unit, or group. The group comprised of me, 12-K, and 13-C was unit 7. Next to our names, it seemed like there were other names next to ours, one for each. I noticed the two next to my friend's names, but I was focused on the name next to mine: Sasuke U._

 **(Back to 13-C/Sakura's POV)**

"Look, I know it sounds crazy but it's what we saw!" He raised his voice slightly, which scared me a little. Even so, I was in disbelief. Was this really true? I was about to ask him to confirm it when I saw we were nearing our destination. When we entered the room, I looked around at the familiar stark white walls with softly padded floors. I saw that 12-K was already there and was standing tall, unmoving. This meant that we were about to get either instructions, a lecture, or both. We stood next to 12-K and stood the same way, parallel to him, never taking our eyes off the S. . We were barely there for a few seconds before a few of the staff came to the window overlooking the room and never stopped watching intently. A large S.H.M that towered over the others entered the room and the two other S. stood and saluted it. I could tell from how the others acted that he, or she, or it, or whatever, was in charge. **"ATTEN _TION_ "** It barked with a heavy emphasis on the last part. When it spoke, I couldn't help but get chills down my spine. I noticed 12-K and 85-S were standing stiff as a wooden board. I didn't react in time when a S.H.M almost screamed at me and I stood stiff as well. **"ALL RIGHT THEN, SHALL WE GET STARTED?"** It's armored head scanned each of us. It waited a minute before speaking again.

 **"ALRIGHT, I SHALL EXPLAIN WHY YOU ARE NEEDED HERE; THIS IS AN EXERCISE MEANT TO TEST YOUR FIGHTING PROWESS. IT IS ALSO A TEST TO SEE IF YOU ARE ABLE TO UNLOCK YOUR POWERS FOR ONCE. IT SEEMS THAT YOU THREE ARE LATE BLOOMERS IN THIS FACILITY, SO THIS EXERCISE IS ESSENTIAL IF YOU ARE TO SERVE THIS CITY."** At first, I didn't understand what they meant by "essential", but I was sure they were going to explain. **"BEFORE WE BEGIN, DO ANY ONE OF YOU HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS?** " It looked over the three of us before looking at me **"13-C, YOU HAVE A TROUBLED LOOK ON YOUR FACE, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?"** I looked up in surprise at the S. , they must have seen how confused I was and I didn't know what to say. "N-No sir" I said timidly. **"ALRIGHT THEN, SHALL WE START?"** All three of us nodded in unison, the S.H.M's visor brightened a little. **"ALRIGHT THEN, LET THE TRAINING BEGIN!"**


	3. Secrets

**(3:47 PM)**

 **(Sakura's/13-C's P.O.V)**

We walked over to our assigned sparring areas, ready to be pitted against whatever was in store for us. I have to admit, I was pretty nervous. 12-K looked like he was ready to wet his pants, and we didn't even start yet! I saw the mechanical sparring dummies be brought in and set up parallel to us on the mats. Some of the staff, as well as other LSOGA subjects, were watching through glass windows in the front of the room. We waited patiently for the starting bell, but I couldn't get what 85-S had told me out of my head. I decided I'll have to ask him about it after the session.

Suddenly, a ear-spliting sound roared through my ears and the mechs sprung to life. I saw from the corner of my eye that my friends were already in fight mode. I was so focused on them that I barely missed the hook punch that it had thrown at me. I ducked and attempted a low roundhouse kick to knock it off its feet (which hurt my foot because it's made of freakin' METAL on the inside!) and caused it to falter. Seeing my chance, I followed it with an uppercut to send it flying a few inches away. It slowly got to it's feet and charged, aiming for a hook jab. I quickly got ready to block the attack. I didn't expect it to avoid my block and change to a double punch. The moment the fists collided with my face, I felt pain balloon through my whole head and I felt like my face was going to explode into a billion pieces. As I fell on the mat, I felt something warm trickle down from my nose.

I slowly got to my feet, still dazed from the punch, and noticed little red drops on the mat. My foot wasn't in the best of shape and I lifted it off the ground slightly. The sparring mech had stopped to give me time to recover. I looked over to my friends. They all looked pretty beat up but I could see the fire in their eyes even at a distance. I looked back at the mech, which was waiting patiently for me to get ready to continue.

I got into a fighting stance but pretended I was still in a daze, with my hurting foot lifted up a little bit. It dashed at me, ready to land a throat strike that would no doubt secure victory had I still been in a dazed state. On one foot, I gracefully moved around it at a fast speed and landed a thrust kick on it's back. Because it was still moving from the attempted punch, my kick only propelled it more, causing it to stumble and fall off the mat. I landed what would have been a graceful landing if my foot didn't decided to be a pain in the ass at the last minute. I felt pain through my whole foot and I collapsed, my vision getting slightly blurry as my adrenaline rush subsided.

I remember very little of what happened afterward, what I do remember was getting lifted up by the medical bots and being carried to the hospital ward. I remember laying on the bed seeing my two best friends looking down at me, but then everything went black as sleep overtook me.

 **(4:48 PM; Naruto's/12-K's P.O.V)**

 _'She must have hurt herself pretty badly back there.'_ I thought as I speed-walked through the medical ward and the hall toward 13-C's room, clutching the clipboard so it wouldn't fall out of my uniform. I had mentally reminded myself over and over again to tell her not to go overboard with the exercises again or she could hurt something else. I found the room where 13-C was staying. When I looked in, I noticed 85-S sitting on a chair next to 13-C's bed, a calm expression on his face. I could hear him talking a little bit, but I couldn't hear him, so I decided to listen in.

 **(Sasuke's/85-S's P.O.V)**

"Even though I got my ass beat back there, I think I did pretty well" I said out loud, even though she was asleep and couldn't pay attention. I moved my hand to the bandage on my left cheek, where the mech had struck me out of nowhere during the "exercise". For some reason, I kept having moments where I questioned everything about this facility. I guess it all started when me and the idiot found that clipboard. I mean, think about it, what other secrets are the Higher Ups keeping from us? I shook it out of my mind and looked back at 13-C, who was stiring a little but didn't fully wake up. I gently put my hand on her cheek, looking over her at the same time. I don't know why, but she looked so cute when she slept. I think it was the way she looked so peaceful, so... _innocent_. Lost in thought, I didn't notice her eyes slowly flutter open.

 **(Sakura's/13-C' P.O.V)**

 _'Man, how long was I asleep?'_ I thought as I slowly opened my eyes to what I expected to be the bright light of the hospital room, only to see it be blocked by someone or something. As my vision cleared, I saw myself looking into the soft onyx eyes of 85-S. I quickly bolted up from the bed, my forehead colliding with 85-S's. We both yelled in pain and surprise at the sensation exploding through our heads. To be honest, what the heck was he doing hovering over me like that? I was about to yell at him when we heard laughter from the doorway. I looked at the door and 12-K was laughing harder than I've seen him do in a while. I looked back at 85-S, who seemed angry at him for some reason. "Man, from the way you were lookin' at her I thought you were actually gonna kiss her for a second! And that forehead collision, PRICELESS!" 12-K said between laughs. I turned red at the thought of 85-S kissing me, and he turned red at the same time as I did. "You dobe! You eavesdropped on me?!" ' _Eavesdropped? What the heck?'_ A lot of questions were going through my head at a time.

 **(Naruto's/12-K's P.O.V)**

"Yeah I forgot to tell you, I was on my way to check on 13-C and I saw you in the room talking to her so I decided to listen in!" I said happily. "Oh! That reminds me, I brought this with me to show 13-C!" I reached under my lab uniform to unveil a clipboard. In fact, it was the same clipboard that me and the jerk found had earlier today.


	4. Suspicions

**(Sasuke's/85-S's P.O.V)**

At first I didn't know what 12-K was talking about. However, when the realization set in, I was close to shitting my lab pants. "Y-Yo-You IDIOT! YOU ACTUALLY BROUGHT THAT THING HERE?!" I practically screamed at him. "Ok, what the hell is going on here?! And what is that in your hands?!" 13-C inquired, clearly confused at what was going on. 12-K was quick to tell her how me and him had found it.

 **(6 hours earlier, Naruto's/12-K's P.O.V)**

'Oh c'mon! Why did _I_ have to do all the heavy lifting?!' _I practically yelled in my head as I walked through the door while pushing the heavy cart._ _"12-K, YOU'RE LATE"_ _I heard a S.H.M comment as I wheeled the cart through the door._  
 _"Well, it's not my fault this stuff is heavy!" I retorted as I wheeled the cart into unloading position. While the S.H.M recorded the supplies, I snuck off to do some exploring. I exited the delivery room and walked down the halls for a bit. I saw some staff and and my fellow lab subjects, who greeted me and I replied with a greeting of my own, and kept on my trek through the lab hallways. I saw the large glass windows that led into the lab rooms, where some of the subjects were "practicing". I slipped past the windows and continued down the halls. It's pretty relaxing, believe it! I went through a door that was isolated from the others, thinking it was a stairway. Boy, was I an idiot._

 _There was nothing but blackness in the room, only made worse when I closed the door behind me. "What the hell?" I muttered to myself as I felt around for a light switch. Luckily, it was right near the door and the light exploded with illumination. I could see the room clearly now; it appeared to be some kind of old storage room. Cabinets and drawers lined the walls, papers were everywhere, and it was an all around mess. I decided to see what were in the drawers. I mean, it doesn't hurt to look, right? There were some note-worthy things in there but none that caught my attention. Something else, however, did. As I went deeper into the room, I saw something; a large board with papers on it. I've seen the staff carrying them around but I never knew what they were for. I examined the papers on the board and started skimming through them. I saw various units; one column with lab names, and the other with names I've never seen before! It wasn't long before I got to my unit, and it was the same for ours. I saw my name, and in the next column aligned with it was the name Naruto U. I also noticed the names Sasuke U. and Sakura H. The realization that I've found something important hit me like a bag of bricks. I ran back toward the door, closing it slowly as to not alert anyone, and ran through the halls looking for either 13-C or 85-S. As I turned the corner, I saw 85-S walking through the halls. I quickly made my way to him, eager to tell him about my discovery._

 **(13-C's P.O.V)**

"So that was what was bothering you!" I exclaimed as I looked at 85-S. He looked away from from me before he spoke. "Hn." was all he could get out at the moment. "Do you even realize how much trouble we're going to be in?!" He yelled again. I perked up, hearing something from down the hall. I motioned for 12-K to hide the board before that got here. He then tried to stuff it in a drawer, and failed miserably. As the figure came into few, I recognized him as one of the staff of LSOGA. He was tall, around his 20s or 30s, with white hair that stuck to one side, a medical patch over his left eye, and the ever-so-present mask. I remembered that he was called Professor Hatake. We called him by his first name; Kakashi. His one visible eye looked over us and we held our breaths for what he was going to say. "Did I interrupt something?" he said as he walked into the room. I tried my best to sound normal, "No, it's ok, Kakashi. We were just having a conversation."

"A conversation about what?" He asked with a jokingly suspicious tone.

"Nothing really 'exciting'" I said with a slightly defensive tone.

"Is that anyway to talk to a LSOGA staff member?" He said in a calming yet stern tone.

I looked away from him, obviously embarrassed.

Kakashi looked away from me and at 12-K and 85-S.

"We weren't talking about anything, you know! It's just, uh, lab stuff!" 12-K spoke in a tone that sounded like he was trying really hard to act like nothing was wrong.

 _'12-K, you are a TERRIBLE liar.'_ I thought in my head as Kakashi's only visible eye moved over to the clipboard. He moved over slowly to the drawer where it was sticking out. 12-K looked at Kakashi like he'd just witnessed a murder, and even 85-S looked pretty terrified. I felt super scared as well. I mean, what was he going to do to us if he sees it? Will he report us, put us in the block, or... _cull_ us? Kakashi read the clipboard and didn't say anything. We held our breaths, scared to see his reaction.


	5. Untold Power

**(Kakashi's P.O.V)**  
 _So this is where it ended up!_ I thought to myself as I scanned the papers. I don't know how the HELL these kids found or smuggled this thing, but I now knew I had possible candidates for the White Light. How on earth was I going to tell Minato and Tsunade about this?! LSOGA's security and firewalls are top notch, any suspicious messages coming from my computer or ANY device I use and, well, let's just say I'm a goner! I turned around at the kids, who were looking at me like I'd just sprouted wings or something. I knew that the only way to tell the Resistance was to go to them...and bring the kids with me. I decided I was going to write it down later for someone in case I didn't make it and if the plans went well; all of us would make it outside of the city and to them. I didn't want these kids to suffer the same fate as Rin. "Don't worry" I said with a smile. "I won't tell, but I will have to be taking this. Don't breathe a word of what you read." I went toward the door with the clipboard under my arm. Then, I remembered something. "I'm warning you" I said with a serious tone, "LSOGA isn't kind to its... _defectors_." And with that, I was off, ready to meet with Tsunade to formulate a plan.

 **(13-C's P.O.V)**  
 _'Defectors?'_ I thought to myself, as Kakashi walked out of the room. I have to admit; I was pretty relieved that he wasn't going to tell. Personally, I think he has a soft spot for us. I don't know why, but I think that's the case.

 **(THURS, SEPT. 10, 2138. 12:03 AM)**

A bit past curfew, I sat on my bunk, with 12-K and 85-S fast asleep on their bunks just above me. Nothing that Kakashi had said made sense to me. I decided something: me, 12-K, and 85-S would interrogate him tomorrow and find what he was talking about. Mentally writing this down, I laid down and attempted to get some shut-eye before I heard 12-K talking from above his bunk. _'You've got to be kidding me!'_ I thought. _'I know I'm being hypocritical but what the heck is doing he still up?'_

"What are you doing?" I asked in a quiet voice, as not to awaken 85-S. I felt a shift in the bed above me as I knew he was startled. "Oh! 13-C!" He whispered in his raspy voice. "I was just talking to myself about stuff, what about you?"

I debated whether or not to tell him about my plan, that I decided it would be better to tell it in the morning. "Nothing, just thinking" I said as I laid down again. "You should probably get some sleep, too." I said before I laid back down onto my pillow. I felt a weight change that told me that 12-K had laid down too. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.

"Hey, 13-C?" I heard him from above me.

"What?" I asked, clearly tired and irritated.

"Are lobsters mermaids to scorpions?"

"What?!" I chuckled. ' _Is this guy serious?!'_

"You heard me!" He whispered loudly.

"I don't know, and I don't care!" I replied angrily and put my head back on the pillow. 12-K didn't talk after that, so I guessed he went to sleep. However, that silence was short lived. "Hey, 13-C? I bet the outsi-DAGH!" I cut him off as I kicked his bunk hard to shut him up. After that, it was a good night's rest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
 **(7:19 AM)**

 **(85-S's P.O.V)**

I walked out of the bathroom from showering to see my unit was still asleep. I decided to wake them up myself, staring with 12-K, of course. I climbed the bunk ladder up to the top, where 12-K was snoring to no end. I had NO clue how I slept through all of this snoring. "Hey, idiot." I said as I nudged him, only for 12-K to roll over with his back facing me. "Hey!" I pushed him again only for him to jolt up in his bed. "You had a nightmare or something?" I asked him as he looked around. He felt his back and looked at me like I'd just punched him in the face. "Did you just shock me?!" He exclaimed.

"What? Do I look like some, I don't know, superhuman? Quit fooling around!" I retorted.

"I'm being serious! I felt a jolt when you pushed me!" He yelled again. "What the hell is going on?! I'm trying to sleep in here!" I heard a groggy voice from below to see 13-C. Her messy, pink mane framing her face. She was looking at us, her green eyes flaring. I looked down at her with what I'm sure was a nervous glance. _'How am I going to explain this to her?'_


	6. Arrival

**(12-K's P.O.V)**  
"I didn't wake up the first time 85-S tried to get my attention, so he shoved me with his hand, and _ZZZT!_ I felt a shock! Believe it!"  
I tired to help 85-S explain what had happened to me but it looked like 13-C wasn't buying it. "I don't have time to listen to your stories." she snarled as she got up to take a shower. Wanting to tell her more, 85-S grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving. Suddenly, 13-C wrenched her hand from his grip, looking at him with a surprised expression. She looked at me as though looking for answers. I gave her a ' _told you so'_ look as she looked at 85-S.

 **(13-C's P.O.V)**

I felt the tingle in my hand and wrist. I didn't know what to say except; "I guess you weren't kidding, Taser-Hands", earning a loud snicker from 12-K.

However, I was really nervous on the inside. _'How did this happen? Did he know about this and not tell us? Do the Higher Ups know about this?'_ There were a lot of questions going through my head as I felt the warm water on my body. I was going to wash my hair when I heard something outside. I was going to look out when I suddenly realized that when the shower door is open, you're basically in plain-sight of anyone standing outside.

Much to my horror and embarrassment, the door vanished right in front of me. 12-K was looking at me with the reddest face and the most horrified expression I had ever seen. Remembering I was completely naked, I screamed super loud, which caused him to scream. On impulse, my fist collided with his face, sending him crashing through the bathroom door and into the main room. I backed up into the shower and the door appeared again, with me wondering how I should react to punching my best friend through the door. A minute later, I emerged from the shower and quickly got dry and dressed. 12-K was looking at me as though I was going to hit him, and I didn't blame him. However, I remembered what I had told myself last night and decided to tell my friends.

 **(12:45 PM)**

 **(Kakashi's P.O.V)**

I waited for the new arrivals at the entrance of the lab. From what I've heard; one was coming from the Downtown District, while the other was being transferred from another lab in another part of the city. Personally, I didn't know who to expect. Would it be two boys? Two girls? A girl and a boy? I didn't have time to think before the silver and green LSOGA truck pulled up to the dock and stopped. "Are you professor Kakashi Hatake?" The driver called out to me as I walked down the stairs. "Yeah, yeah, that's me." I nonchalantly called out as I walked over to the truck. "Alright, the recruits" The driver said as he went around the side and opened the truck doors. However, we were both scared out of our wits when one of the "recruits" leapt at the inner doors and began shaking the bars and screaming to be let out. I could tell it was a girl's voice even if I couldn't see the person. The driver banged on the door, yelling at the girl to shut up. I looked inside to see a girl and boy barely over the age of 12 or 13. I saw the girl curled up in the corner crying, while the boy sat motionless. The girl had short black hair that stuck up a bit in the back, small side bangs, and pale lavender eyes. The boy had midnight-black hair and blank obsidian-colored eyes. His skin was unnaturally pale, as though he had never been in the sun his whole life, never the less seen it. The girl was wearing the typical Middle Class clothes you'd expect to see in that part of town, while the boy wore the standard white lab clothes. The driver opened the doors slowly as to not scare them. The boy came out with no problem, while the girl needed some convincing. The kids were quickly moved to the Evaluation room, and I followed close behind.

 **(13-C's P.O.V)**

 _I couldn't believe it! Kakashi always disappears when we need him!_ I thought as me, 85-S, and 12-K made our ways through the halls, trying to catch a glimpse of the Kakashi's familiar white hair. I was so focused that I didn't see the staff member in front of me until I had already collided with her. I looked up to see a woman, about mid-30s, with ash-blonde hair styled into twin ponytails, and nut-brown eyes. I recognized her as one of the LSOGA staff just by her white lab coat. However, I couldn't recall her name. I quickly started to apologize when she cut me off mid-sentence. "Nothing's wrong, 13-C. You did scare me, though." She said with a happy smile. Seeing her, I remembered what I had in mind. "Um, we were looking for Kakashi, have you seen him anywhere?"  
She thought for a second before giving her answer. "Why yes! He told me he was going to the loading zone. He should be coming back soon. Do you need to talk to him?"

"Yeah we do! Thanks!" I said as I pushed past the scientist, with 12-K and 85-S hot on my heels.

"He's in the Evaluation room with the new arrivals." One of the drivers told us after we asked around. I have to admit, I was both frustrated and interested. 1; because Kakashi wasn't where we expected to be, and 2; there haven't been any new arrivals for a long time.  
As we left the loading zone toward the Evaluation room, 12-K spoke up out of nowhere. "Whaddiya think about that? Newbies?!"  
"I'm fine with them as long as none of them are _hyperactive idiots_." 85-S jeered, earning a glare from 12-K. "Well, _I'll_ be happy if they get along to some degree, unlike two _bickering goofballs_ I happen to know!" I spoke up, leaving stunned silence from my friends. Eventually we made it to the Evaluation room, where Kakashi was waiting outside the door. "We need to talk." I said bluntly as we walked over to him. Stunned, he turned around to face us. "Ok, if it's about yesterday, we'll talk later. I was planning to find you guys anyway."

"What do you mean?" 85-S rumbled, his black-grey eyes radiating with suspicion.

"Well, about the new arrivals, I was planning to introduce you guys to them when they're properly assessed."

I was confused for a second before asking him to get to the point. He was about to answer when a staff member called him in to talk. Frustrated, we all sat outside the door for what felt like hours before Kakashi finally returned. We all got up, waiting for him to explain what happened. "Well, the boy is already accustomed to the lab's rules, while the girl could get better with time." ' _So the new arrivals are a boy and girl!'_ I though excitedly. "And..." He dramatically paused, which is something he would do sometimes to tease us. "...I believe you're all going to be great friends!" _'Friends?'_ I was confused as hell when he said that. I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant when 12-K blurted out exactly what I was going to ask him. Kakashi closed his visible eye in the way he did when he smiled. "What's I'm saying is that the new recruits..." _'Ugh! Stop with the damn pauses!'_ I thought as I waited for his answer. "...They're going to be assigned to your unit."


	7. A Change In Plans

**(2 days later, 10:14 am)**

 **(12-K's P.O.V)**

I sat down with my lunch tray with my friends, who carried a bit of anxiousness about them. Of course, I knew why; this was the day we would finally meet the new members of our unit! I was so excited you might as well call me ecstatic! I nudged 13-C with my shoulder, and she put down her bowl of soup after chugging it. Jeez, and she's telling me about manners! She still had soup around her mouth and nose, giving her the appearence of a beard. It was pretty funny, and I couldn't help but let out a smirk and something along the lines of; "You've got something on your face". She blushed and wiped at her face with a napkin. "So, you excited to see them?" I asked as she wiped the last of the food off.

"I don't know...are you?" She replied.

"Well"-85-S spoke up as he took a bite of brocoli-"I don't really know what to expect, but-"

"I wasn't talking to you, Teme!" I yelled.

13-C gave both me and 85-S a glare that clearly said; "Put a sock in it, you'll make us look like weirdos!"

She looked up and her expression changed from angry to trying to look normal. I followed her gaze to see a boy and girl walking toward our table. The girl had short black hair like 85-S's, but her eyes were pale, almost white, with a tint of lavender. The boy had super pale skin and a blank gaze. The boy sat down and began staring into space. The girl slowly settled into her chair, looking around as though searching for a way to escape. I got to admit, the girl actually looked pretty...cute.

 **(13-C's P.O.V)**

"So, it's nice to meet you, I guess." I said awkwardly as I raised my spoon of soup to my lips. As I opened my mouth, the boy spoke up. "It's nice to meet you too...Ugly". My spoon fell back into my bowl, splashing it everywere. I looked up at him, mouth still agape, to see that this kid was freaking smilling! The girl gave him a "Apologize right now!" look. 12-K looked ready to burst out laughing while 85-S looked downright murderous. "Sai! You can't just call people by what you see them as! I'm sorry, I promise he doesn't mean what he says!" The girl said. I was so stunned from his insult that I didn't realize that she didn't call him by a lab name (Or was that his lab name?). As if reading my mind, the girl spoke up again "Oh, he comes from a different lab than yours, that's why his name is seems foreign to you. Speaking of names, I'm '29-E'"-she said bending her fingers at the name- "but please call me Hinata, what's yours?" I was bewildered on why she didn't want to be called by her lab name, but I didn't care "I don't really have a name, neither of us do, really. I'm 13-C." I replied, my voice a little more confident. "I'm 12-K! Nice to meet ya!" 12-K blurted out. "And the quiet guy over there is 85-S!" 85-S looked up, gave a little wave, and went right back to eating. "So"-Sai started again-"What Tier are you guys?"

"Hmm? Oh, we're all Undetermined." I replied. For those of you who don't know, LSOGA sorts their S.H.I.N.O.B.I into certain catigories called "Tiers", as to keep track of us all and seperate the strong from the weak.

Here are some Tiers that we learned about:

 _Undetermined;_ the nobodies, the lowest of the low. They have no or very little abilities and don't usually get sorted into a class right away. Me, 85-S, and 12-K belong to this Tier for now.

 _Tier 1: Genin._ The least powerful SHINOBI. They pose little threat to enemies and have the least abilities. They are often chosen as lab assistants, demonstrators, etc.

 _Tier 2: Chuunin._ A little stronger and has more abilities than a Genin, but still poses very little threat. That doesn't mean they can't kick your ass if they wanted to.

 _Tier 3: Jounin._ Ok, now we're getting to the tough guys, Jounin are very powerful and make decent fighters and patrollers. They also get chances to leave the lab. To be honest, I'm pretty jealous of them.

 _Tier 4: Kage._ The big bad wolves of LSOGA, even stronger than a Jounin. They're the "Shoot first, ask questions later" kind of people. They have the type of abilities that could cut you down like a chainsaw cuts a tree (Whatever a tree is, anyway). Like the Betas, they often get out-of-lab missions. Again, I'm _jealous_.

Through the rest of lunchtime, and we got to know Hinata and Sai a little bit more. We even found out a bit about the outside! (Although she wasn't supposed to say it out loud, or have us spread the word, because one kid did once and the story did NOT end happily).

As we left the cafeteria after lunch period, I felt a weird sensation in my stomach, but I shoved it off. However, as I walked toward my unit room, my vision started to blur. Realizing something was wrong, I tried to run toward the room. The harder I seemed to run, the more tired I got. By the time I made to the door, my head was spinning and black dots were appearing in front of my eyes. I barely managed to crawl half-way through the entrance before I finally couldn't go any further. I remember being picked up and carried by two S. before everything was a blur and I slipped into unconsciousness...

 **(Later that day, 85-S's P.O.V)**

We had been searching all day, and by now I was super frustrated. _Where the hell was 13-C?!_ It was really out of character for her to not be seen for a while, especially for hours! I turned to Hinata, Sai, and 12-K, who also looked pretty anxious. I turned back to the door, waiting for Kakashi to come back. He decided to keep looking for 13-C after we had given up and we knew he would ask around if he could. After a while of waiting, Kakashi returned. But there was a woman with him; looked about mid-30s, with ash-blonde hair and brown eyes. I realized it was the same woman from 2 days ago, the one that 13-C almost had a head-on collision with. "Sorry to keep you waiting everyone, but we have a lot of explaining to do, follow us." Confused, I followed along with them, with the other's behind me. We walked through the halls for a little while before Kakashi and the woman stopped in front of a large door. 12-K got really excited for some reason, and then the realization that this is where 12-K had found the clipboard hit me out of nowhere. We all went inside and through another door, which looked to me like some kind of conference room. Neither of us had even been inside one of these rooms, as the meetings there were top secret, even to us.

But they also made the perfect place to talk and not get caught.

Kakashi sat us all down and we waited for him to start talking, but to our suprise, it was the woman who talked first. "I believe I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Tsunade Senju." She said as she took out some kind of badge, which had a weird symbol on it.

I attempted to grab it as to take a closer look, only for Tsunade to quickly swipe it away. "What kinda symbol is that anyway? It's wierd!" 12-K commented.

"T-That's the emblem for the Resistance!" Hinata blurted out. My breath almost caught in my throat. _Resistance?!_

"That's impossible! The Resistance was wiped out long ago!" I yelled

"That's what they wanted you to believe, 85-S...or should I say _Sasuke Uchiha_?"


	8. Worth a Thousand Words

**(85-S's P.O.V)  
** I couldn't register what I was hearing. But when I did, I somehow recognized the name from the clipboard that me and 12-K had found 3 days ago. Time flies, am I right?  
Suddenly, as if reading my mind, Tsunade took the board out from her jacket and set it on the table! I looked at 12-K, who looked just as confused as I did. Luckily, Kakashi was quick to explain;

"You see, me and Tsunade are members of the Resistance. We were sent here 10 years ago to keep an eye on someone. She was taken by LSOGA and we decided to work here in order to watch over her and protect her. Over time, I personally got to know her and her friends. And I almost forgot about my mission untill 12-k, err, _Naruto_ , found this clipboard and I knew that girl and her friends were canidates for the White Light." 

Although I was listening, I suddenly realized he was talking about us! And the girl he was talking about was 13-C! Wait a minute, if she had actual parents, then:

1.) Why didn't she bring them up?

2.) If she had parents, then that means that 12-K/Naruto and me do too! (If they're alive anyway.)

Kakashi started up again, "Yes, and I kept this with me for all 10 years I knew you. And I planned to give _this_ to 13-C when I had the chance."

He said as he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. I turned it over and saw a photo. It showed Kakashi smilling with two people; a man and a woman. As I examined the picture, I saw the man had short auburn hair and green eyes that looked similar to 13-C's, and the woman had pink hair like her, but her eyes were brown. But the baby the woman was holding in the photo was what caught my attention. "Holy crap! That kid looks alot like 13-C!" 12-K yelled, scaring the crap out of me. "I think it is her!" Sai commented.

Kakashi nodded, and I could tell he was smiling. He removed the photo from my hands and placed it back in his pocket and continued to talk.

"Anyway, me and Tsunade devised a plan for us to get you out of the lab and to the Resistance, but we have been forced to change our strategy after your friend's...unfortunate disappearence. Luckily I have some good news and some bad news, which one do you want first?"

I got a bad feeling when he said this, "Good" I said. Kakashi's face lighted up, "Well, we managed to find out where 13-C was taken."

"Well, where'd she go?!" 12-K blurted out. Kakashi's expression darkened, "I'm afraid that's the bad news. You see, she's been taken to Lab X."

I got chills down my spine. Lab X is a very dangerous place, located on the south side of LSOGA. Sometimes kids who are taken there never come back, and those that do, well, let's just say they aren't the same after that.

"Well, we need your help to get to the Resistance and out of the lab. Are you up for it?" Tsunade asked.

Realizing where this was going, I spoke up. "Tsunade, going out of the lab would put us at large, do you really think-"

"Let's do this!" 12-K yelled.

"I'm ready to help!" Hinata said, confidently.

"I'm a little skeptical, but I'm sure it will go well" Sai commented.

Tsunade turned to me, and I could tell she was expecting me to change my mind.

I looked down at the table then got up from the chair as I thought about what they had said. With my back to them, I made my decision. I wanted to go and see the outside, but I just couldn't leave 13-C to die. I was faced with a decision: Do I help them...or 13-C? I thought about my answer for a short while before I turned to them with a expression of what I think was determination. "Alright, I'll help you, but we're not leaving without 13-C!"

All of them looked stunned, but Tsunade was the first to react. "Do you really want to head into Lab X? You'd have to be crazy, brave, or both."

"I don't care, I'm NOT leaving any of my friends behind!" I said, my voice ringing with confidence. "So, who's with _me_?"

 **(13-C's P.O.V)**

'Where am I?' _I thought to myself._

 _I was in a place that exploded with colors I had never seen in the lab itself. Large bushy things as far as I could see. There was a strange bit of green sticking out of the ground beneath me, but it was soft, not spiky. I also took note of buildings in the distance, looking as though they were about to collapse at any moment. The large things seemed so massive, as though I had shrunk in size._

 _As I looked around, I saw a patch of water on the ground; a puddle. I stumbled over to it only to see a girl around three or four years old staring back at me from the water. As I looked closer, I realized that this girl was_ me _; pink hair, teal-green eyes. However, I'm not wearing a lab uniform, just a green dress with pink markings along the right side of it, with a small ribbon on my head._

"Sakura!"

 _I perked up to see a man beckoning me over with a worried look on his face. He had brown hair, yet his eyes mirrored mine; shape and color and all. I felt like I had seen this man before, but I can't recall where or when. Even the name he called me, Sakura, seemed foreign to me. Nevertheless, I felt tempted to follow his voice. Something inside me felt as though I knew who this man was, and that I was safe with him. "Come on, Sakura, we have to go back."_

 _Curious, I ran as fast as my little legs could carry me toward the man before his expression changed from worried to horrified as a loud_ bang _rang through the once silent area_. _I saw the man get knocked back, clutching his shoulder as blood poured out. There was a wound on his leg as well. I ran faster but large robotic hands wrapped around my body and started to carry me away from him. The man limped back into the trees, and I saw a look on terror, anger, and regret just before he left._

 _I tried to scream for him to come back, but a small voice rang out instead._

_"Daddy!"_

 _And that's when I saw a flash of bright light, and I opened my eyes._

As I opened my eyes, I realized that the bright light was coming from a operating room table light that had somehow made it's way into my dream.

My vision slowly came back, and I saw that I was in a lab room, not the green scenery I had seen in my dream. 

_Who was that man?_ Why would I dream about someone I've never even met?!

Or even a place I had never seen?!

I slowly sat up, my thoat and limbs hurting like someone put anvils on them or something. I tried to call out for help, but what came out was a throaty rasp, muffled by the mask on my face that was connected to a machine. I looked around to see machinery everywhere; Heart Moniters, needles, IV stuff, you name it, I saw it. There were needles and other strange things that were sticking out of my arms and legs that connected my to the machines. I was panicking, mostly because I didn't know where the heck I was, but also because I didn't know if my friends were here or not. I wanted to cry out again when the door to left opened up and a man walked in. He was wearing the typical LSOGA uniform. He had short ash-grey hair parted down the middle with a small ponytail in the back. He also wore round glass that gave him a dorky yet intellectual look to him.

I watched him intently, wondering if he could give me answers on to why I was taken away from the main lab and my friends. However, he approached me cautiously, with his hands out, as though I were a wild animal that could attack due to any sudden movement.

"S-Subject 13-C, I see you're awake. I thought the Sleep Coating was supposed to last much longer than this." He said as he stopped and wrote down something on a clipboard. As he wrote, I caught a glimpse of the name tag on his coat: Kabuto Yakushi.

"W-What happened to me?" I rasped.

Kabuto started to talk, never taking his eyes off the clipboard. "You see, we've been watching you for a while. During that time, we discovered that your energy levels are higher than other S.H.I.N.O.B.I in this facility. I wanted to wait a little while longer, but Orochimaru-sama just couldn't wait to get your power levels tested, so...we were sent to take you to Lab X, and well, here you are!" He said with a chipper tone, as though performing experiments on me was as normal as buying bread. "Judging by the data here it looks like Operation Full Bloom is coming along nicely!"

Full Bloom? What was Full Bloom, and what did it have to do with me?! I was freaking out, I felt like crawling into a corner and cry until it was all over. I wanted my friends, I had never felt so alone and helpless in my life.

Suddenly, as though a switch had been pulled, everyone and everything around me seemed like a threat, and I was ready to attack. That's it, I wanted out! I tried to yank the mask off my face, and it came off with a _snap_ as the bands connecting it broke. Kabuto ran over to try and stop me and, on impulse, I punched him in the face, and I leapt out of the bed. In the process, some the wires in my arms and legs came out, causing blood to flow. I also didn't notice the green light emanating from my hands as I did so, as I was in pure fight or flight mode. I started banging on the door, screaming incomprehensible things. Kabuto tried to drag me away from the door, holding what I think was a seditive in his hand. I started to thrash around screaming, but this guy had an iron grip, and I felt a pain in my neck. The doors opened and two large S. burst through the door and grabbed both my arms, placing my hands in some kind of metal covering. I stopped struggling at this point, I fell to my knees, breathing heavily. I realized that it wasn't the type of sedative I expected, but rather one that drains your energy, not put you to sleep.

He shook his head, as though disappointed, and sighed. "I knew you were going to be a problem." He hissed.

"There's really no need to struggle. Besides, those who struggle often die first." He said as he put his hand behind his back to reveal some kind of _muzzle_.

"13-C, what happens when an _animal_ gets too aggresive to be handled by hand? They get the muzzle." 

"Look who's talking!" I growled. I'm telling you; if I could get away with murder, this guy would be my first target.

Kabuto tried to fit the muzzle over my face as a S.H.M tried to hold my head still. The closer he put to my face, the more adrenaline pumped through me. I snapped at his hand and felt skin on my teeth. He jerked his hand away with a yell of pain, and I could see that his right pointer finger was bleeding.

"You little-!" He screamed as he slapped me across the face. He then grabbed me by the hair and looked directly into my eyes. I could see rage, it was a rage that I knew mirrored mine in every way possible. "You are making it very difficult for us to keep you alive!" He snarled as he forced the muzzle over my face.

He stood up again. He looked at the S. holding me. "Take her to Maximum Zone B. Do NOT let her out of your sight, and you have orders to shoot to kill should the need arise."

 **"YES, SIR."** The S. replied in unison before I was dragged out of the room and toward this 'Maximum Zone B'. my adrenaline rush had subsided, so I really had no choice but to follow along. I felt something flow down my cheeks. 

_85-S, 12-K, everyone..._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _...I'm sorry..._


	9. A Grand Scheme

**(THURS, SEPT. 12, 2138. 11:45 PM)**

 **(MAXIMUM ZONE B, LAB X)**

**(13-C's P.O.V)**

I opened my eyes to see I was in some kind of cell, the muzzle still on my face. For some reason I was expecting a small concrete cell with iron bars of some kind but as it turns out it was actually a fairly large room with thick glass that seperated me from the outside. I brushed my pink locks out of my face and looked out the "window", seeing cages similar to mine. I was going to call out for someone when I heard cries from all around me. Some of pain, some of anger, some of despair. I saw kids, kids that were locked up here, like me, they were all in different stages of poor health, but they all had the same look of despair in their eyes. Suddenly, the reality of the situation hit me, and I felt as lonely, powerless, _useless_ , as these kids problably felt _._

At the same time, I felt _betrayed,_ andI also felt _anger_ well up inside me. These people took care of us, raised us! They were our family!

While I thought this, I thought of my friends.

 _What if they've forgot about me? Or maybe they're looking for me right now?_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Or maybe they were looking for me but already gave up?!_

All the weight of these emotions caused tears to form in my eyes. I staggered over to a small mattress in the corner of the cell. I sat down, hands crossed over my knees.

I bit down on my lip as I processed all that transpired. All our lives, we couldn't cry if we wanted to. But I didn't care. _'It's not like anyone can see or hear me anyway.'_ I thought as I let the tears roll down my face and onto the muzzle. Soon, my sniffling turned into sobs of despair and loneliness. I thought about 85-S; I imagnined looking into his soft onyx eyes and I felt as though he was here, protecting me. I thought about 12-K, who's playful blue eyes and stupid yet cute grin actually helped me smile myself. I also thought about Sai and Hinata, who I barely got to know, who now seemed as though I had known them all my life.

"You can stop crying, y'know?"

I perked up at the voice, and I looked to my left to see it was a girl, with fair skin and long, platinum blond hair that covered one eye. The eye that was visible was an icy blue. Her blue gaze met my green, and our gazes locked.

 **(?'s P.O.V)**

I examimed the newcomer, who sat in the corner. She appeared to be around my age, with a petite looking face and sea-green eyes. I also thought that she had a slightly large forehead, but I didn't want to tell her. She also had a muzzle on, like me, but the part that caught my attention was her pink hair. I had never seen anything like it in LSOGA before. 

I could tell that the girl was anxious, and to be honest, I didn't blame her one bit.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I apologized. When I said that the girl slowly got up, curious at to this sudden visitor. She started walking toward me and eventually she stopped and sat down next me.

"I'm 19-J, but I'd prefer if you call me Ino. What's yours?" I asked, without even really thinking about it.

The girl was silent for a few seconds before she responded, "13-C."

"It's a interesting name, if you can call it one." I said, looing down.

"What do you mean?" I heard her ask.

"Never mind." I said, quickly "So, how'd you get here?" I asked, even though I felt like one of those guys that you see in prison movies or some shit like that.

I didn't get a answer right away, and I thought that she wasn't ready. "You don't have to tell me, I'm just curious."

"It's fine, it's just something about my 'power levels'" She said, and I swore I heard a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

 **(13-C's P.O.V)**

I don't know why, but I felt a lot less upset now that I had someone to talk to. Ino was kind, although she seemed a bit snarky at times. She told me she'd been her for approximately a week, with some of the other kids as long as a year, which shocked me. I couldn't imagine what it was like to be locked up for that long. I'm telling you, if I were one of those kids, my mind would have went into a total shit storm.

Once I had gotten over my temporary shock, the conversation continued on, and Ino opened up to me a little bit. I learned that her biological family owned a flower shop before she was taken to LSOGA. It was located in an area she didn't want to talk about because she feared they might be listening.

I guessed "They" refered to Kabuto and this "Orochimaru" guy that he mentioned. I told Ino the whole story about my friends, finding the clipboard, being taken to Lab X, and meeting Kabuto, including making his finger bleed.

"Jeez, I guess that's one way to get on his bad side", She joked. "To be honest, I don't have enough middle fingers to let him know how I feel."

"I feel ya." I said.

"Y'know, I'm" -She paused as she got up- "gettin' tired of this place. I think it's time to set my plan into motion somehow." She said as she walked over to the corner and started shuffling around.

Hearing the word "plan" caught my attention. ' _Great, I've made a new friend, and she's possibly going bonkers'_ I thought.

"Yeah, I know it sounds bonkers but I swear it will work." She said. My breath caught in my throat _' Did she just-_ '

"Read your mind? Yep, that's my ability." Ino spoke up, confidence ringing loud and clear in her voice.

I was confused, and I needed proof in case she wasn't delusional or something. "I don't believe you." I said with my tone a bit more aggresive than I wanted.

Ino let out a loud sigh, which told me she got that answer a lot. "Ok, just, think of a number. Any number." She said quickly.

I hesitated before I thought of my number. _'8'_

"Really, 13-C? 8?! That's a little cliche" She laughed, and I was flabbergasted.

My confusion quickly turned into a laugh. "Ok, I believe you now." I chuckled.

However, my laugh faded and the air tightened around us. "Ok, about your plan."

"Yeah, the plan, hold on." Ino replied and began shuffling through a pile of papers.

I watched and could hear bits of "That's not it" and "Damn, thought that was it" and "These cells need file cabinets, ASAP."

"Ah! Found it! Finally." Ino yelled as she pulled a piece of paper from the pile and walked over to me with it.

I was slightly nervous. _'Don't tell me that's...'_

"It's ok, it's not toliet paper." She said with a chuckle, and I shot her a look. "Anyway, here it is." She whispered as she spread the paper out, and I could see it was a map.

"It's actually really funny how easy it was to swipe this. All it took was a little bit of mind-control and _presto_!" She said with pride. As I examined the map, I felt myself drawn into her idea. I asked her to go into more detail about her plan, and she happily obliged. 

**(OUTSIDE OF LAB X)**

 **(Sasuke's P.O.V)**

I gazed at the immense building that stood infront of us, the truck we were riding in bumping along the dirt road. There were a ton of searchlights around the whole area, and I could feel the tension in the air around me. 12-K, I mean _Naruto_ , looked scared, and I didn't blame him. We had looked over the clipboard as we had got settled into the truck and after a while we decided to call eachother by the names Naruto and Sasuke. We also learned from Kakashi that 13-C's real name was Sakura Haruno. She totally isn't going to believe this!

I looked back over to the building. I stared at it with what I think was a look of determination, despite the fear building up in my gut.

 _'Hold on, 13-C..._ Sakura. _'_

 _We're going to get you out of there, I promise.'_


	10. In The Spider's Web

**(FRI, SEPT. 13, 2138. 12:02 AM)**

 **(MAXIMUM ZONE B, LAB X)**

 **(13-C's P.O.V)  
**

 _'I never knew the vents were this tight'_ I thought as the rectangular walls pushed up against my body. I couldn't see anything, but I could tell Ino was just behind me.

 _'Yeah, well, I didn't design the vents, so don't blame me.'_ I heard her voice in my head. Apparently telepathy was another one of Ino's abilities, aside from mind reading and possesion. Ok, back on topic; Ino told me that there's a ventilation system that runs through all of Lab X, it just happened there are vents in the cells that were put there to bring air conditioning, and Ino managed to pickpocket a screwdriver (Again, with mind control), which gave us a way to explore the lab without being seen. While I do think this was crazy, I have to comend her on her insane but awesome plan.

 _'Alright Miss Mind-Reader. Any idea where we are?!'_

I thought.

 _'We should be approaching the end of a vent soon. If it looks interesting and there's no one around, we'll see if we can get in.'_

 _'Alright, I'm just following your lead.'_

 _'Whatever, Billboard-Brow'_

I stopped dead in my tracks in the middle of the vent upon hearing her insult, and apparently she didn't realize it because I felt something push up against my butt and heard her mumbling, _out loud_.

"Guess you should be lucky I didn't fart." I whispered.

"Shut up."

I chuckled to myself and soon we reached the end of the vent she was telling me about. I couldn't see anything as it was facing down, but I heard footsteps and the automatic doors closing with a _swiiish_. After that, it was silent except for electronic beeps and whatnot. I motioned to Ino that the coast was clear and she swooped into action and unscrewed the vent.

I went first. I slowly lowered my body through the hole, my legs dangling a few feet above the ground. I hung from the vent for a few seconds before dropping down onto the floor with a _thud_. My breath caught in my throat hoping it wasn't loud enough, and to my relief it wasn't. I stood straight and started to walk in to the room, which was even bigger than my Unit's main room. The room was gray-colored with pipes and wires everywhere. It was really dark in the room, with the light from the computer screens and holograms casting a dim light over the area. I heard a thud from behind me, and I whirled around to see Ino getting to her feet.

"Neato" She whispered to herself as she stood beside me, and she was right. ' _This_ was _actually really cool!'  
_

Curious, I moved over to one of the screens while Ino checked out something over at the back of the room. There was a ton of data on this thing, some of which I didn't even understand. However, something compelled me to keep reading. I read through the database and found the Heritage Core, which I learned told the total DNA percentage of the subjects here.

To get what I'm talking about, get ready for an earful, or should I say an eyeful for anyone who reads this;

In the 2090s, about a year after the Iron War, the Japanese Empire decided to use their leftover millitary supplies from when they got involved in the fight, and as a result they started to tighten their grip on the world around them and slowly grew in size until they had almost complete control of over 70% of the earth.

Some countries, however, remained independent, with the most notible ones being both Koreas, Canada, and parts of Central and South America. Of course, many of these countries resisted this new growth. Remember those countries I mentioned? Well, lets just say they were ready to go to war to protect themselves, even though their military was exhausted, and the Japanese had no choice but to let their pleas be heard and let them be. I mean, not trying to joke around here but if you were the goverment you wouldn't want WWIII, right? Anyway, let me put on my serious face again.  
For the countries who peacefully surrendered, Japanese immigrants started to move to those countries, and Japan entered an immigration boom, with people from many countries setting there. The amount of settlers from different countries settling in a single country hadn't been this high since Ellis Island in America. With the amount of immigration and inter-racial marriges taking place; Japan, and hence the world, became a bit more diverse in culture.

But this new world wasn't perfect, many Japanese immigrants and emigrants experienced racisim wherever they went and there was violence everywhere.  
Those of pure and mixed heritage were the main targets, and some people refused to leave their houses altogether. It also exposed the world to new diseases that were either created through inter-racial bonds or were spread by immigrants and emigrants unintentionally. When a new Prime Minister; Kawabata Yorikane, rose to power, he made it his mission to protect the people and stop this violence.

It was a long and hard journey, but under his rule, the world started to calm down and accept it's new settlers, although some remained steadfast in their want to stop the Japanese.  
When Yorikane stepped down, the world was turned upside down by our current Minister; Danzo Shimura. Some people call him the "japanese Saddam Hussein", and he turned the world into something from out of a dystopian novel. And I'm afraid that's all we were taught for now.

I scrolled through the Heritage Core, hoping something of interest would pop up. I thought it was hopeless until one of the profiles caught my eye. My breath caught in my throat and I scrolled back up again, only to see my face looking back at me. I clicked on my face and read the profile:

 **~{REGISTERED NAME: 13-C}~**

 **~{ESTIMATED DATE OF BIRTH: March 8th, 2126}~  
**

 **~{BIRTHPLACE: Classified}~**

 **~{APPROXIMATE AGE:**

 **12}~  
**

 **~{CONFIRMED DEMOGRAPHICS: Asian, Irish, Eastern European}~**

 **~{UNIT NUMBER: 7}~**

 **~{DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS: Pink hair}~**

 **~{REASON OF TRAIT: Unknown}~**

 **~{TIER: TBA}~**

 **~{DETAILS: Subject 13-C is one of our most fascinating S.H.I.N.O.B.I. It appears through chemical testing (see Footnote), her power levels are slightly higher than even that of Jounin, almost Kage level. Being with us from the start it seemed as though she assimilated into the facility easily, but in the past few days she has started to act strangely. It appears she might have discovered something that could possibly go public, therefore she is to be confined in Lab X until the problem is solved. With 13-C in our hands, Operation Full Bloom can proceed as usual. All we have to do is tap into what she is capable of, and the our first human weapon will be a success! Unfortunately when she woke up she was less than cooperative. With time, she'll fall in place and have no choice but to obey. Orochimaru says that the Minister will be very pleased with him if it all goes well.**

 _Full Bloom_. There was that word again. I finally understood why they wanted me; I was the subject for their game, therefore _I_ was Full Bloom.

But why me? Why couldn't they just choose another kid? What was so special about me that they felt they had to use me? I felt all these questions appear in my head at once and it nearly gave me a headache. Feeling a tug in my gut, I got absorbed in the Core. I got so focused that I didn't see Ino appear behind me.

"Human weapon?" She asked, and was so startled I whirrled around and almost hit her in the face.

I glared at her "Do NOT do that to me!" I growled.

"Sorry!" She said between laughs. Suddenly, she stopped and looked toward the door. She put two fingers on each side of her head and stared at the door. "Uh, what are you doing?" I asked. After staring at the door for what felt like an eternity, she whirrled around and grabbed me by the shoulders. "13-C, we gotta hide, NOW!" She said looking around. Her eyes fell on a set of lockers in the back of the rooms. She dragged me over and stuffed me in a locker before getting in with me and shutting the door. I barely managed to get a word out before she covered my mouth with her hand and a staff member came in.

I looked through the crack to see it was a janitor of some kind. He looked about late 30s, with brown hair that transitioned into a beard. He had tan skin and brown eyes, and a cigarette in the corner of his mouth. Over the beeps of the tech mumbo-jumbo, I heard him saying things like "These damn scientists don't pay me shit" and among other complaints.

 _'Just try to stay quiet!'_ Ino yelled at me in my head. I listened and tried to keep quiet when the janitor said something that made my blood run cold;

"'Bout time someone was assigned to clean the lockers, I won't be surprised if I see mold in those things."

My eyes widened and I looked at Ino in desperation, and she matched my glance as the man stepped toward the lockers.

My heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to explode. He was about to reach for the door but his arm came away and he held a lock in his hand.

"Akata forgot to lock his thing again, aye-yai-yai." He grumbled before bending down. I heard a _click_ from outside and thought we were basically _locked in_. However, I realized it had come from the locker next to us, not the one we were trapped in. He turned to our locker and reached for the door, and we held our breaths. I closed my eyes ready to meet my fate when he started talking again. "Y'know what; Screw it. They really think I'm their butler?! I'm not getting mold on my hands." He snarled, walking away from the locker and gathering his things. When he left, I realized that I was holding my breath the whole time.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I slowly opened the door, and me and Ino both fell out of the locker in a small pile. Getting to our feet, we dusted ourselves off and wondered what to do next. I was about to tell her what I saw in the Core when suddenly the storage room door burst open, followed by two **"BREACHED SUBJECTS SPOTTED. WE ARE UNDER ORDERS TO FIRE!"** in unison.

I was so taken aback I couldn't move. How did I not hear the S. ?! I closed my eyes tightly, about to accept my fate, when I heard a thud. I opened my eyes to see Ino unconscious next to me with a dart in her side. I suddenly felt a pain in my leg and everything faded to black...


	11. To Hell And Back

**(Naruto's P.O.V)**

"Is this really going to work?" I spoke up, feeling cramped in the large box next to Hinata and Sai. "Naruto, I trust Kakashi, so you should too!" Hinata whispered, barely audible over the sound of the cart moving.

Before we went in Lab X, Tsunade explained that S. are controlled via remote control by people who have been modified to fit inside the robotic body. Sasuke would pose as a S.H.M sent with orders to deliver supplies to Maximum Zone B, which Kakashi suspected is where 13-C is being held.

Getting him inside the actual suit was a challenge, as his body was never meant to fit inside and operate it. Eventually he managed to fit inside after switching it to Remote Control Mode, RC Mode, and we continued. Sasuke would be fed info on what to say by Kakashi through earpiece, and Kakashi could see through Sasuke's visor by hooking it up via Bluetooth to the truck, which had a TV screen activated the control button on the dashboard (which I don't know why they'd have a screen there).

I personally don't know why SASUKE of all people would be the one going in like that, but for some reason I didn't object. Now here I was trying to make room for myself while Sasuke walked around looking through the visor. Almost on his way to the delivery room, the cart stopped and I kept hearing stuff outside.

 **(Sasuke's P.O.V)**

"S.H.M 173." The scientist spoke up, reading the ID on my suit's arm. "Where do you intend to bring these supplies?"

 _"6th Floor, loading zone 6-U"_ Came the static of Kakashi's voice in my earpiece, and I repeated what he had said.

"Very well, you may proceed." He said as he stepped to make room for me.

That was actually pretty easy, but he was just a grunt. Anyone else could possibly take a closer look. We made it to the sixth floor and did the delivery so we didn't seem out of place. As soon as we all got out, Naruto and the others out of the box and me out of the suit, we hid outside the door just in time to hear two scientists walking by...and what they said chilled me to the bone:

"Subject 13-C? I heard she was schedueled for euthanasia for escaping and attacking a staff member!"

"Yeah, but the one dying is 19-J. 13-C will live. The Minister WANTS her alive, why is anyone's guess..."

The rest of what they said was unintelligible, but my skin paled so much I must have looked as white as Sai. I thought euthanasia was a practice meant for sick or old animals that were in too much pain to live!

Is that what they really thought of us?! Were we really just animals to them?! I wanted to punch something, or someone. I think the others heard it too, because their faces, especially Naruto's, were mortified. I notified Kakashi to let him know and get answers.

 _"This is beyond my power, Sasuke, but I just got the news and I can tell you what floor it's on and the time it takes place..."_

 **(FRI, SEPT. 13, 2138. 12:37 AM)**

 **(8th floor of Lab X)**

 **(Ino's P.O.V)**

My eyes opened to the bright lights of a different room. No duh, this WASN'T our cell! I raised my head to see a bunch of scientists, including that Kabuto son-of-a-gun, look at us with either sneers or emotionless faces. I turned to my left to see 13-C wearing those wierd wrist cuffs and a mask on her face. Her green eyes had a wild, terrified look to them, and locking eyes with hers actually gave me chills seeing the utter confusion and fear that danced across them.

"You've been bad girls" Kabuto sneered, "I'm sorry that this has to happen to you. Also, 13-C, remember this?" He said raising his middle finger, which had a bandage around it from when 13-C had taken a bite out of it.

"Yeah, and I'd do it to your face if I could." She snarled through the mask. If looks could kill, Kabuto wouldn't stand a chance.

"Now now, don't give me that look, you had this coming." Kabuto taunted. "I know the Minister wants you alive in all, but F him. He's tampering in some crazy stuff, a.k.a YOU. He wants to make you useful to get the rest of the Earth, but no, I believe...any mad dog...has to be put down to prevent it from injuring anyone."

My eyes widened "NO!" I screamed. They can't kill 13-C! They can do whatever the hell they want to me, but I was not about to let the only person in this place I considered my friend die before my eyes!

"Don't worry, you'll live for another few minutes, but I do have a confession to make..." He trailed off before he started to talk.

"Apparently the Vision Extractor was sabatoged by someone, causing miss _Yamanaka_ "-I cringed as he put a heavy emphasis on my last name-"to retain memories of her former life. However, we did not notice the problem until the Hyuuga girl showed the same behavior as you. Don't worry, the team is looking into this, but whoever broke our machine will pay."

He walked to the other side of the room to 13-C, who looked ready to tear his throat out. "Don't worry, you'll see another day in the lab, but your friend won't be so lucky."

My eyes met her's, our expressions mirroring each other.

 **(13-C/Sakura's P.O.V)**

No, no anyone but her! I tried desperately to reach out to Ino when my vision started to blur and it felt painful to breathe. I heard Ino trying to breathe as well. Kabuto simply motioned to leave the room.

And us...to die.

I collasped, my vision going blurry as a gas filled my mask.

 **(Just down the hall from the Euthinasia Room)**

 **(Sasuke's P.O.V)**

Finally we were on the 8th floor. The elevator took too long, but we were there. Someone has just turned the corner, but I didn't see who. I heard screaming and coughing coming from the room, and they sounded female. Sai got out to help me get the door open, and I wanted to yell at him but he did help me, so I didn't object. Once we were in, the door closed behind me and I got out of the suit as Sai headed toward a switch. The air was horrible and I coughed a few times from whatever was in the room.

My blood chilled seeing 13-C, she looked dead. Her chest was moving up and down super fast. Another girl next to her looked the same way. I heard something flip behind me and all of a sudden the air completely cleared out and I could breathe properly again. I looked to see Sai next to a switch, I guess it activated some kind of vent system that eradicated the deadly gas. I ripped open the door, got the mask of her face, and carried her out.

 **(Sai's P.O.V)**

Sasuke dealt with 13-C, and I watched him as he frantically tried to wake her up. She did stir, which was a relief to him.

I guess friendship really is a powerful thing. I had never felt it myself before now, but I wanted to.

My eyes turned toward the other girl and I quickly lifted her and got her out as well. As I cradled her in my arms, I couldn't help but look her over: her long platinum blonde hair spilled out just past her shoulders and covered one of her eyes. I shook her a bit before she groaned and opened her eyes to reveal an icy blue color. Seeing them gave me chills (in a good way).

I have to admit this, but she looked absolutely... _beautiful_.

However, I was interrupted by racking coughs from my right and it looked like 13-C had woken up as well.

 **(13-C/Sakura's P.O.V)**

I opened my eyes to a bright light. That settled it, they didn't fullfill their promise and I was gone. I was going to see what was on the other side. I probably wasn't the first kid they sent over, but at least I couldn't go through anymore pain...it felt...peaceful, like I could finally be happy and not have to worry about pain or sadness or any negativity.

Wait, if I am dead, what is 85-S doing there?! He's not dead! Hold on, the light...it's not Heaven, it's a fluorescent light, I'm alive!

 _'On second thought, I'm in Hell'_ I thought as I realized where I was: the Euthinasia room. I managed to stand up. I felt arms try to support me and I turned to see 85-S looking at me with a concerned gaze.

I couldn't believe it. They really didn't forget about me! Without thinking I hugged him tight and all the emotions I had welling up inside me started to spill out. I sobbed into his chest, relieved to see a familiar face.

 **(Sasuke's P.O.V)**

I reluctantly put my arm around her, but didn't squeeze. I didn't do anything really, I just had to soak in what just happened.

"13-C!" A voice rang out and more footsteps came into the room causing her to flinch and hang onto me. 12-K, ugh I need to stop calling him that, I mean _Naruto_ and Hinata came in (I guess through the crate sides which were near the room), and Sai helped up the other girl.

 _"Sasuke?! Sasuke where are you?! SASUKE!"_ I flinched suddenly hearing Kakashi's voice burst through the mic. "Don't worry Kakashi we made it, and keep your voice down!" I whisper-yelled into the earpiece much to 13-C/Sakura's confusion.

"13-C, who are these guys?!" The blonde had got up, looking at us with an awkward expression.

"Oh, um, hold on"-her voice was still cracked from emotion-"Ino, these are my friends; 85-S," she said motioning to me, "12-K," she said to Naruto, who looked annoyed but responded with a hello, "Hinata," Hinata barely mumbled a "Nice to meet you," "And that's Sai." She finished.

"N-Nice to meet you guys." The girl, Ino, mumbled.

I examined the girl. She had hair paler than Naruto's, with eyes that were just as blue. She was thin and gangly, and super thin, not 'verge of starving' thin, but the 'haven't had food in a long time' kind of thin.

 _'l've never seen her around LSOGA'_ I pondered.

"Well, no duh, Duckhead, I'm not from LSOGA!" I was flabbergasted, and not just from insulting my hair. _'How did she-?'  
_

"Sorry, Ino has telepathic ablities." Sakura mentioned. "AND mind control as well as heightened senses." Ino added.

Psychic abilities. Unbelieveable.

"Ok, report back to Kabuto-sama the results of the euthinasia, AND remove this bot!" A voiced called from outside, coming closer to the door.

"Shit..." I mumbled.


	12. The Way Out

**(1:15 AM)**

 **(Hinata's P.O.V)**

My body had gone into fight-or-flight mode. In fact, I hadn't noticed that the others were already finding spots to hide until 12-K/Naruto had dragged me into a corner with him and we had all spots that were out of view of the door.

At least I hoped we were out of view.

The two scientists burst in and scanned the room, looking with fierce, focused eyes. I could see Sakura behind the door hiding with Sasuke a few feet away from her. I wanted to laugh and cry at how badly they were hidden. The second on closed the door, which caused Sakura to yelp.

Dammit.

I closed my eyes scared, and there was yelling...and then someone hitting the ground. I heard another person yelling and the sound of someone growling. I slowly opened my eyes...and my heart nearly jumped at the sight;

The scientist was on the ground trying desperately to knock off Sakura, who had sunken her teeth into his arm. Catching a glimpse of Sasuke, he looked horrfiied, or astonished, or even both at the same time, I couldn't tell. Meanwhile the other scientist was too scared to intervene but pointed something at her. I couldn't tell what it was before someone (I presume either Sai or the blonde girl Sakura was with) had knocked them out, slamming a heavy object on their head. I know this because I heard a person grunt and fall over as well as a _clang_ sound.

"RUN!" I heard as the blonde sprinted toward the door.

 **(Ino's P.O.V)**

'Shit shit shit shit SHIT!' I thought as I screamed for the others to follow. This was NOT part of the plan! Heck, there isn't even a plan! I could hear footsteps and stupidly peeked behind me to see the dark-haired boy, 85-S,- and 13-C. The others were dragging behind. "BILLBOARD! DUCKHEAD! HURRY UP!" I screamed as n earspliting siren blared and the loudspeaker squawked.

 **"ATTENTION STAFF, ROGUE SUBJECTS SPOTTED ON THE 8TH FLOOR. REMAIN ON STANDBY."  
**

Well damn. So much for stealth.

The alarm and announcements continued as we ran like the demons of hell were on our heels. And in a way, they were. I was barely around the corner when another scientist who was running nearly collided with me. He tried to grab me but I backed up and into the others, and we were clearly surrounded.

The others were terrified, and so was I to be honest. However, something in my head and blood triggered a thought. I tightly closed my eyes and imagined an explosion in my head.

'This better work!' I screamed in my head.

It was so vivid it scared me, and I was too focused on it that I did not hear my friends and the scientists cry out in surprise and fall to the floor. I opened my eyes to see the others getting too their feet. Damn lissies deserved it. I didn't have the slightest clue where to go until 85-S snapped me out of it by pulling me along. The long hallways winded and twisted and I nearly stopped to dodge the rubber bullets fired from the S. . Some of us cried out in pain due to grazes by the ammunition. I myself staggered when I felt a searing pain in my side as I turned the corner. These bastards must have been preparing for situations like this.

 **(Sasuke's P.O.V)**

I sprinted behind. They weren't going to hurt us! Just bring us back to wherever we had to be! Right?! There were so many thoughts going through my head I didn't see one of the others go down. It was the blonde that Sakura had been with. Luckily it only grazed her and she could keep moving, but my concern caused me to slow down and come to her aid. I didn't notice a ricocheting shot until it was too late. It slammed into my arm and I felt the pain ballooning through my arm. I winced and shrieked in agony not realizing that my hand was lighting up with a purple-blue light. I tried to run with my busted arm, my vision getting blurry from pain.

My arm was going berserk at this point with the weird purple glow that was starting to take over my upper left side. Seeing figures through the haze of pain, I blindly thrashed around sending spark-like materials everywhere.

I felt pain.

 _So...much...pain..._

The scientists were taken back from what I had become. Then a new feeling emerged in me; rage, bloodlust, a want to rip these fucker's heads off their sorry shoulders.

I remember screaming like I never did before, like a primal beast that had been sleeping awakened within me. The last thing I remember was thinking:

 _'Was this what they wanted?!'_

 **(Sakura's P.O.V)  
**

We ran for the stairs where we would head to the last floor where 12-K, who went by Naruto I learned, said Kakashi was waiting, when I heard a hellish screaming behind me. It was a male scream, but it sounded so inhuman I almost didn't recognize it. It was 85-S, or Sasuke, as they called him now.

Turning tail, I ran away from the stairs despite Naruto and Ino screaming for me to come back. As I ran through the doorway and back into the hallway we had come from, I saw the scientists were terrified of the figure in front of them. Seeing them scared made me scared. 85-S/Sasuke's arm was covered in blood from a wound and pulsing with a dark purple energy. His entire body had some weird spot markings that spread everywhere from what I could see.

This wasn't the boy I grew up knowing...this boy was not Sasuke! While a small part of me hated the scientists for lying to us, they were just as scared and confused as I was. I had to do something to help both Sasuke and the scientists. Through my fear, my body started to move on it's own, but not away. Why wasn't I moving away.

 **(Sasuke's P.O.V)**

Dammit! Why couldn't I move on my own?! It felt like I was being controlled by something else. The pain only added to the fear and confusion I felt inside. I wanted to break out! I wanted to stop! I wanted to-...

Suddenly, I felt like I was being pushed from behind and felt arms wrapping around me. I slowly turned my head to see who had held me back.

It was Sakura, and she was...crying.

Everything went blurry, but I was still aware of Sakura hugging me from behind. It was almost as though nothing existed but just ourselves. Everything then started to come into focus as the marks faded from my skin.

 **(Sakura's P.O.V)**

"Please...stop..." I choked out through my silent sobs. I hugged him tighter, as though he would fly away if I were to let go. My eyes were tightly shut from crying so hard...

By the time I had opened my eyes, what felt like 1-3 seconds felt like hours to me. The marks on his skin had faded away and vanished. But that wasn't what caught my attention.

It was my hands, and they was...glowing. A green aura had surrounded both of them. I was so taken aback and confused that I didn't know what was happening until I saw the scientists get blasted back by something. Then someone grabbed our arms which caused Sasuke to yelp. It was in this moment that I snapped back to reality. Ino had been the one who had used that mind thing from earlier, and Sai had grabbed us and was pulling us toward the stairs. Once we were through and closed the door, we ran...no...FLEW down the stairs until we were hitting the 1st floor. Ino charged ahead and tried to open the door, but the thing was locked! A defense mechanism?! What a dirty move!

I could hear someone trying to open it on the other side and was about to yell when Naruto covered my mouth to shush me.

Fortunately Sai found something; a 1st story window near the door.

 **(Kakashi's P.O.V)**

"What the hell have you kids done?!" I screamed at no one in particular as the alarm sounded and red lights blared across the courtyard. Tsunade was just as furious as I was. I knew I should have just saved Sakura myself. What was I thinking? Sending in kids...

I was so concentrated on messaging Sasuke through the earpiece and reminding myself later to read the hell out of Icha Icha Makeout Tactics that I didn't hear Tsunade opening the back doors of the LSOGA van we were stationed in.

 **(Tsunade's P.O.V)**

Fuck it. No amount of drinks were going to make me forget this.

Those kids were probably going to die, and I had to make sure I could delay that. I opened and charged toward the entrance to Lab X. Shit, it was on lockdown. I was about to find another way when I heard a crash from next to me and saw a dark-haired boy jump out the window 9 feet away from me. He soon got up and I saw a pink haired girl jump out, then a blonde, then another girl, then I saw a boy and another blonde jump out the window.

They all landed and looked like they had just stared hell in the face. "Do you need help?!" I asked, and the blonde perked up. He smiled and yelled something and they all ran over, but the blonde girl was confused. I could have collapsed with relief had the situation been less stressful. I ran back with the kids following close behind. One of them was badly hurt, I could tell.

Kakashi was ready to drive off before we even all got inside. But he started driving not realizing we were still trying to get in.

 **(Naruto's P.O.V)**

Once we were in, we would have taken a breather had Sakura suddenly jumped up and ran at the door. I tried to see who she was screaming at, then I noticed Hinata running toward the rapidly accelerating truck. In the midst of the chaos, the alarms, and people trying to take us out via snipers, Sakura screamed something along the lines of "GRAB MY HAND!" and, being desperate, Hinata leapt forward and managed to grab the doors (which were STILL OPEN! I mean, c'mon!) leaving Sakura to grab her and try to pull her in. Suddenly, the truck lurched to the left which caused me and the others to fall to the other side. My stomach twisted as I heard something hitting the doors followed by Hinata's yelp. Sakura would have fallen out had I not grabbed her lab vest and held on. With our combined strength, we pulled Hinata inside and closed the door.  
But Kakashi accidentally hit a pothole or some kind of hole as he yelled something I couldn't understand, but I did hear "...gate!". That's not important however, as we had completely forgotten the "Seatbelts Save Lives" thing and got pivoted upwards away from the doors and toward the front of the truck. We all exclaimed as multiple "Oof!"s and "Ugh!"s rang out.

We didn't notice that Sakura had hit her head, and was barely moving. At least not until Ino yelled at us about it when we went into hiding...


End file.
